Improvement in corn-stalk presses



E. P. & J. E. DAVIS 8;. J. FISK.

CORN-STALK puss.

No. 189,925. Patented April 24, 18:77.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

' EDGAR P. DAVIS, JAMES E. DAVIS, AND JOHN FISK, OF CRETE, NEBRASKA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-STALK PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,925, dated'April24, 1877; application filed March 12, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR PULASKI DA- VIS, JAMES Enron DAVIS, and JennFISK, of Crete, in the county of Saline and State of Nebraska, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Pressing Corn-Stalks, &c., for Fuel, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a top View of our improvedmachine. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same taken throughthe line to 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the bands.Fig. 4 shows a modification of the band.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved machine forpressing corn-stalks, weeds, hay, brush, &c., into small bundles forfuel, which shall be simple in construction, convenient in use, andeffective in operation, pressing the material compactly, and holding itsecurely until bound.

1n the drawing, A is the frame of the machine, to the top of which isattached the table or platform B. The rear posts of the frame A projectabove the table B, and to their forward or inner side is attached a bar,0, to which are hinged the rear ends of the arms D. To the arms D areattached the boards E that form the cover of the press,

and which are strengthened by arms F at-' tached to them. The arms D areso hinged to y the cross-bar G that when the cover D E F is shut down,the rear ends of the arms D F may pass in beneath and be supported bythe said bar 0. To the forward ends of the arms D are pivoted hooks G,to hook into the rings of ring-bolts H, attached to the table B, to holdthe cover D E F down to its place while the material is being compressedbetween it and the said table B. To the inner or forward 'sides of theupwardly-projecting parts of the nally, to give a rounded form to thebundles. The follower J is drawn forward to compress the material by therope K, which passes along the middle part of its outer side throughdownwardly-inclined holes in its end parts, through slots in the tableB, around pulleys L attached to the short shaft M, pivoted to the rearposts of the frame A, and its ends are attached to the shaft N pivotedto the front posts of the frame A. To one end of the shaft N is attachedthe crank O, by which it is turned. The shaft N is held in any positioninto which it may be turned by a pawl, P, pivoted to the frame A, andwhich engages with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, Q, attached to the saidshaft N.

The cover D E F, the follower J, and the table B, have holes formedthrough them, and are slotted from said holes to their rear edges, sothat bands B may be put around the bundles, and fastened, while the saidbundles are still under pressure. For the same reason the bar I isslotted transversely in line with the slots of the table B, the followerJ, and the cover D E F. The bands R are formed of two semi-ring piecesof wire, connected together at one end by eyes, and having hooks formedupon their other ends, so that they may be readily hooked together afterbeing passed around the bundles. Midway between the slots of the tableB, follower J, cover D E F, and bar I, are formed slots of sufficientwidth to receive a saw, so that the long bundle formed by the machinemay be cut into a number of short bundles, their length depending uponthe length of the stove in which the fuel is to be burned.

With this construction, one person can be sawing the bundles intolengths while another is passing the bands-R around them. With thismachine hay, straw, weeds, brush, and especially corn-stalks, can beeasily put into such a shape as to form a most excellent fuel, which, ina region where wood and coal are scarce and dear, is a matter of greatimportance. The bands B should be taken out of the stove with a hookbefore fresh fuel is put into it, and can be used over and over againuntil worn out.

The bands B may be made'adjustable by coiling the wire near its ends, toform eyes 1",

into which the hooked ends of said wire may be hooked.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of the table B, the cover DE F, bar I, follower J, rope K, guidepulleys L, and crank-shaft N, witheach other and the frame A, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. .A fuel formed of cornstalks and similar

